Many pet owners crate train their pets. As explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,098, dog crates generally provide a safe, secure environment for housetraining, travel, and general control. In time, a crate often becomes the dog's den, which is presumed to utilize the dog's natural instincts as a den animal. Other pets, including, but not limited to, cats and rabbits also may be crate trained. In addition, pets such as rodents may be kept in a cage that may be designed similar to a crate.
Crates, often referred to as “kennels,” may come in different shapes and sizes and may be made out of different materials. Two non-limiting examples of material that may be used to make crates are plastic and metal. Plastic crates generally are molded two-piece units with ventilation areas along the sides and a metal wire door in front. Some metal crates are made of wires that form a grid-like pattern for the walls of the crates.
If the pet inside the crate sheds or is messy, hair and/or “dirt” may exit the crate through the apertures. Depending on how much hair and/or dirt exits the crate, the pet's owner may have to clean the hair and/or dirt off the floor several times a week.